The Obameter

Establish program to convert manufacturing centers into clean technology leaders

Will "establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and help Americans learn new skills to produce green products. This federal grant program will allocate money to the states to identify and support local manufacturers with the most compelling plans for modernizing existing or closed manufacturing facilities to produce new advanced clean technologies. This investment will help provide the critical up-front capital needed by small and mid-size manufacturers to produce these innovative new technologies. Along with an increased federal investment in the research, development and deployment of advanced technologies, this $1 billion per year investment will help spur sustainable economic growth in communities across the country."

Updates

Obama used the stimulus bill to advance this goal

When Barack Obama was campaigning, he talked a lot about how a green economy could also create jobs. He was so specific on the topic that he promised to establish an investment program to help the manufacturing industry produce green products.

Turns out that Obama got a chance to advance this goal early on as part of the stimulus bill, though not precisely what he had talked about while running for office.

For example, about $3.1 billion of the $787 billion stimulus bill has been set aside for state energy programs. There are few limitations on how the money can be used, but the funding must focus generally on green job creation and energy efficient technology adoption. The grants can be used to help small- to medium-size manufacturing facilities produce clean technologies.

Additional funding has been set aside to help companies design and manufacture clean energy products. For instance, the Department of Energy awarded $564 million in December 2009 to support the development of advanced biofuel refineries -- facilities that make biofuel out of woodchips, grass and other organic waste products -- in 15 states.

Other efforts include funding to boost efficient vehicle production and a 30 percent tax credit for clean manufacturing projects.

So, on the campaign trail, Obama talked about a single investment fund to help American manufacturers get up to speed on the latest in green technology production. Instead, he's used the stimulus bill to support various projects meant to transform green manufacturing and to create green jobs as a result. We give Obama a Promise Kept on this pledge.

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